After a recent MRSA outbreak, Quinte Health Care-Belleville General Hospital, Ontario, used the AsepticSure system from Medizone International, San Francisco, to disinfect patient care rooms. The system is placed in the center of a room, doors and windows are sealed, and the system is started via a remote. The room is filled with a gas that can sterilize a 4,000-cubic-foot room, including carpets and drapes, in 80 to 90 minutes. Rooms at Quinte were disinfected in as few as 40 minutes.
Unlike many other forms of disinfecting, AsepticSure mimics the actions of the human immune system. Antibodies generate ozone and hydrogen peroxide to produce a highly reactive compound called Trioxidane. This compound, which is toxic to bacteria, viruses, and mold, kills all pathogens present. The room is then returned to a safe and residue-free state at the end of the process.